Jean Paul has to flee France. During the night, he hides with his friend Leon onboard a punt carrying oxhide to Le Havre. Once there, they meet a captain in a tavern who claims to be from a country they have never heard of before. The country is called Les Iles Féroé, the Faroe Islands.

The following morning, they set sails and journey out with the Faroese captain. A journey that will confront them with the changes happening in Europe, America and later in the Faroe Islands during these years.

The Faroese captain has a single, unwaivering goal. He wants to return to his poor homeland where so much change needs to happen in order for progress to occur. Not least, the Faroese must own ships and learn how to sail them.

The novel 1804 revolves around a historical time of change. Through the eyes of the French protagonist, Jean Paul, we are given a portrayal of the Faroe Islands.

We read about bright ideas and caution.

We hear about people that are struggling against adverse fortune.

And finally, we hear about love, the greatest of all things.

About the author

Rúni Hjelm Bjarkhamar was born in 1964 and grew up in Vági. Since 1991, he has been living in Leirvík, where he is married and has two sons. He has worked as a teacher in Eiði, Leirvík, and, for more than thirty years, at Skúlin við Streymin, In 2005, he won a short story competition with his story “Listin í triðju skuffu” (The list in the third drawer). The story is printed in the schoolbook Dropar, which is intended for the 8th grade. Alongside with others, Rúni edited the schoolbook Les 1. He has also edited books used for teaching Faroese as a second language. In 2014, Rúni wrote the book Maðurin og dreymurin (The Man and the Dream), which revolves around the famous American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. He has also translated the short story collection Ringasta loyndarmálið (The Terrible Secret), which revolves around children with various challenges. For several years, Rúni has written articles for the magazine Skúlablaðið.